The present invention relates generally to a slot car game for use as a toy or in an amusement park and, more particularly, to a slot car game which includes means to realign the slot car after a spin-out or other misalignment.
Slot car games have traditionally been very popular in amusement parks and, in recent years, in the home. Such games include a roadway having a network of continuous slotted tracks around which one or more slot car vehicles travel. The roadways are generally laid out in such a manner that at least two tracks are directly adjacent one another to permit direct competition between at least two cars. Continuous contact strips are provided around the track adjacent the tracks for providing electrical power to the cars.
The slot cars used in such a game are normally scale models of full size automobiles which include four conventional wheels and an electric motor. The motor derives electrical power from the contact strips provided about the track and, by use of a transmission, converts the power into mechanical energy to drive the wheels and thus power the car. Most slot cars include a guide bar which extends downwardly from underside of the car into the slotted track to secure the car to the roadway and to provide direction for it. Most cars do not have steerable front wheels and thus rely on this guide bar to direct it.
An inherent problem with slot car racing games is that in order to simulate road racing conditions and to add to the excitement of the game, the roadways are normally laid out with numerous sharp curves which require a high degree of skill to negotiate at full speed. Since the slot cars are generally over-powered, it is quite common for a car entering a curve at too high a speed to lose its control and "spin out". This could result in the car actually disengaging itself from the slotted track or merely having its rear end swinging out such that the car will lose contact with the contact strips and thus lose power. The operator would then have to manually realign the car for continued competition.
Attempts have heretofore been made to prevent spin-outs and/or to realign the car after such a swing out. One attempt to prevent spin-outs was to reduce the available power for the car to more closely match its weight. This, however, proved difficult because, in some instances, it resulted in the car swinging broadside upon the application of additional power when entering a curve. Another approach to prevent spin-outs was to provide a differential front wheel drive slot car vehicle as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,304,652 which issued to W. T. Donofrio on Feb. 21, 1967. Still another approach was to provide a steering guide for the cars as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,375 which issued to J. B. Russell et al on Apr. 18, 1967. Relatively few attempts have been made to automatically realign the vehicle after such a spin-out or other loss or power.
Against the foregoing background, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a slot car game having slot car vehicles which are resistant to leaving the slot.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a slot car game which incorporates means for re-orienting or realigning the car on the track by its operator after a spin-out or other misalignment causing a loss or power.